Grocery sacker



March 23, v1942 s. @QLDMAN 2,314,490

GROCERY SAGKER Filed Jan. 'r 1942 2 Sheets-Shea 1 3 )11 021 11 Goldman,

Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application January :7, 19 12, Serial No. 425,945

6 Claims.

This invention relates to store furniture and more particularly to a means facilitating the placing of purchases within a bag, and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

In self-service stores, the customer obtains his or her purchases and proceeds to a checking counter, where the checker must remove the goods from a basket which was employed in collecting the groceries. The groceries are placed on the counter so that the checker may total and collect the amount of the purchases. After this is accomplished, the checker must place the goods in a sack or bag and where a large sack is employed it is usually placed on the floor, which necessitates stooping of the checker in order that the articles may be properly disposed in the sack, and in addition, the open end of the bag must be held open in order that groceries may be properly placed in the bag or sack.

In the event that the bag is placed on the counter, the open end of the bag is positioned above the counter a considerable distance, making it awkward to place goods in the bag.

In either instance, a great deal of time is required as well as a needless expenditure of en- Y ergy on the part of the checker. I

It is therefore the cardinal object of the invention to provide a support means which may be readily incorporated within or adjacent a counter and having a vertically adjustable shelf for supporting a bag or other receptor with its open end upwardly at a level permitting ready deposit of articles within the bag.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel means for automatically securing the supporting shelf at a desired level so as to accommodate diiferent sized bags.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bag holding means in which an open front is inherent, permitting ready removal of a filled or partially filled bag.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a bag holder of a collapsible character permitting ready shipment when in collapsed form, and which may be quickly set up when re quired.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent fromthefollowing description and accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a perspective. view of the device, portions being broken away.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof, with portions broken away.

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a reduced front elevation of the device in partially collapsed position.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of one of the shelf holding means.

Figure 6 is a top plan view thereof.

Reference is first made to Figure 1 of the drawiiigs, wherein my device in is shown in use with afcounter I l, indicated in dot and dash lines. The counter H is shown as embodying a cut-out portion I2 for receiving the bag support means In therewithin in which case the support is positioned as to not obstruct movements of a checker. However, the counter Il may have a smooth upper surface, if desired, in which event the support l0 may rest snugly against the edge M of the counter, and since this would be obvious, no dis-closure thereof is made.

In the construction of the bag support, a vertical back frame l5 of strap iron, is employed, consisting of an upper rail i6 and downwardly extended parallel side legs l1. Each of the side legs l1 are connected at vertically spaced intervals by transverse rods l3. Preferably the legs I! are drilled for reception of the rods, the latter being of a length so as to extend beyond the legs at the sides thereof, for a purpose as will presently appear.

One of the rods !8 is preferably positioned adjacent the lower ends of the legs ll, as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4. Any suitable number of spaced rods l9 are employed, extended across and fixed tov the transverse rods I 8, the upper ends of the rods l9 being beneath the upper rail iii of the frame.

To the ends of the projecting rods 18 on each side of the frame, a vertical rod 20 is fixed as by welding; these rods extending below the lower ends of the legs ll a substantial distance, where they are connected by a transverse rod 2|. The rods 20 form a pivot for side frames 22 and 23 respectively. The side frames 22 and 23 are of identicalconstruction, and comprise a frame 24 of the same height as the combined height of the back frame l5'and vertical rods 20. The rods 20 and side frames 22 and 23'function for vertical support of the device.

A side frame 22 or 23;is swingably mounted to respective vertical rods 2!] by means of eyelets 25 or otherwise, and in order that the side frames 2223 may be retained against movement when the device is erected, a swinging catch 26 is provided at a lower portion of the device. The catch 26 is pivotally mounted to a rod 21 of the back frame l5 and the free end of the catch 26 is provided with respective hooks 28 at its sides adapted to engage upon rods 29 of respective side frames 22 and 23. In order to release the side frames 22--23 it is merely necessary to lift upwardly upon the catch 26 so that the hooks 28 disengage the rods 29, when the parts may be swung to collapsed position for storage or shipment.

As may be clearly seen from Figure 2, thelegs ll are spaced inwardly of the frames 22 and 23 for slidably receiving respective shelf holding means generally indicated at 30.

The shelf holding means is best shown in Figures 1, and 6, and attention is now invited. to these figures for an understanding of the construction.

As previously stated, the legs I! are of strap iron, although this is not arbitrary. Slidable upon each leg I! there is a sadle 3! consisting of side wings 32 connected as at 32', the wings 32 being presented parallel with the legs I! and forwardly within support l0. Each wing 32 is drilled to receive a pintle 33 positioned above the transverse medial portion of the wings, for mounting of a shelf arm 34, pivotally therebetween. A second pivot pin 35 is also mounted between the wings 32 positioned at a point below the transverse medial portion of the wings for pivotal mounting of a cam lever 35. It should be noted that the pivot pin 35 is located forwardly of the pin 33, and that the cam lever 35 is of a length to contact the leg I1 in operative position when forced thereagainst by the weight of the shelf arm 34 upon the free end of the cam lever 36, and also that the end 34' of the shelf lever projects beyond the pivot pin 33 a distance so as to contact the cam lever 36 at a point between the pivot pin 35 and the contact nose 36' of the cam lever. Thus when the shelf arms are moved to the dotted line position as shown in Figure 5, the cam lever 36 will be caused to move so as to release the legs l1 and permit sliding movement of the shelf 30 to a desired vertical position upon the legs. To again secure the shelf, it is merely necessary to allow the shelf to assume a horizontal position, the weight of the shelf forcing the cam into engage ment with the legs.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the construction of support described permits quick and ready vertical adjustment of the supporting shelf and since an open front support is employed, a filled bag or sack may be readily removed from the device.

The shelf arms 34 may comprise any suitable number of transverse connecting rods 31 and rods 38 extended across and fixed'to the latter, so as to form a stable supporting shelf for bags the like to be placed thereon.

In Figure '7, a modification of the shelf holding means is shown, in which the legs 11' are provided with a ratchet 39 on their rear vertical yokes 4| will be drawn downwardly to engage the yokes 42 within the teeth of the ratchet.

A modification of the first form is shown in Figure 8, and in this instance, the front edge of the legs l'l are provided with longitudinally spaced teeth 43 adapted to receive the contact nose 36a. for positive engagement. The camming action'between the shelf arms 34 and the cam levers 33 is omitted.

edges, and the shelf arm 34' is constructed to engage the leg. In this instance, the arms 34' arepivotally mounted as at 40 to a yoke 4|, the latter embracing a leg H. The yoke 4| will be formed at its bight portion 42 so as to engage within the teeth of the ratchet 39 at a'point above the pivot of the shelf.

In the operation of this form of the device, the shelf is swung upwardly so as to disengage the legs I? and given a slight backward movement,

so as to move the bight 42 from engagement with the ratchet teeth. Held in such position, the shelf may be moved upwardly or downwardly to the position desired. To fix the shelf in such position, it isonly necessary to lower the shelf to a horizontal position or nearly so,'when the contact nose 36" will engage the legs and the A simplified form of shelf support is shown in Figure 9, in which the shelf arm 34 is pivoted to the saddle 3|, and the end of the arm is tapered and adapted to engage with respective teeth of the rack bar l'|a. In this form, the cam lever is not required since the holding engagement is between the arm and teeth of the rack bar.

While I have specifically shown and described preferred forms of the device, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame including an upright rear member and a pair of spaced leg members, a pair of side members on the rear member extended in parallel relation therefrom, a saddle member embracing each leg member and slidable thereon, a shelf member pivotally mounted on each saddle member and extended between the side members, and means operable by the weight of said shelf when in a substantially horizontal position to secure the shelf in an adjusted position upon said legs.

2. In a device of the character decribed, a supporting frame including an upright rear member and a pair of side members, saidrear member having a pair-of vertical leg members, a saddle member snugly embracing each leg member and slidable thereon, a cam lever pivotally mounted on each saddle having a por tion adapated to engage its respective leg, and a shelf member pivotally mounted between said saddle members above the cam lever whereby downward pressure of the shelf upon said cam levers will cause a gripping action between sa d saddle members, legs and cam levers.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the shelf includes extensions for engaging said cam levers for moving the latter to an inoperative position.

4. In a device of the character described, a supporting frame including an upright, rear member and a pair of pivotally connected side members, separable means connecting the side members, said rear member having a pair of vertical leg members, a saddle embracing each leg member consisting of a pair of parallel wings. a shelf having an arm pivotallymounted between the wings of each saddle, and a cam lever pivotally mounted between the wings of each. saddle below the shelf arm, said cam lever being of a length to contact its respective leg member at one end and to support the weight of the shelf at the other end. I

5. The st-ructure of claim 4 in which the leg members are provided with a series of vertically spaced ratchet teeth for receiving the contacting end of said cam lever.

6. The structure of claim 4 in which the shelf arms each have an extension adapted to engage said cam lever to move the latter from contacting engagement with the leg members.

SYLVAN N. GOLDMAN. 

